But rarely did one of these table tidbits ring truer than on one July, 1986 Sunday.

"Never discuss basketball with anybody from North Carolina."

Bernie Lincicome, who creatively filled the famous "In the Wake of the News" space for half a generation at the Chicago Tribune was the author. More than likely, it drew at least a few knowing giggles, quite possibly from some Atlantic Coast Conference alumni in the Chicagoland region. But maybe more than a few snarls from transplanted North Carolinians.

It is said time heals all wounds, but in the case of University of North Carolina hoops apologists, it would appear — again — timing wounds all Heels' image.

The subject matter: Last Friday's Sweet 16 game against No. 19 Villanova, a game won by the second-ranked Tar Heels 67-66 amid a sea of disgruntled Carrier Dome fans, including 9,000 thunderous V.U. banshees who campered, SUV'ed, bused and Winnebagoed their way along the Interstates from the Main Line and many precincts of Wildcats support throughout the nation.

This was to be a game that prompted pompous, self-appointed, chalk-playing geniacs like The Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy, L.A. radio gadfly Jim Rome, and Skip Myslinski of the Chicago Tribune to automatically insert the words "North Carolina" in the elite eight portion of their bracketology.

"This," one forgettable radio voice said, "is nothing but a showcase for North Carolina."

But when Villanova played its game far above the road where its post-season aspirations were to be killed, suddenly the smirks — particularly from the idiot-savants wearing Carolina Blue — became prow-faced grimaces of concern.

Instead of the predicted bulldozing of the 19th-ranked Wildcats' pride, the prim-and-proper Tar Heels found themselves in a desperate fight for their post-season lives in the final seconds, as an 11-point lead had been ceremoniously whittled to 66-63 while over 95% of a Syracuse Carrier Dome crowd of 31,000 howled its support for a fellow Big East brother.

Villanova had already thrown one major chill into the Carolina amen corner -- both its bare-minimum 1,500 fans and cheerleading media -- turning its denizens chalky white with a stunning 21-9 start, before Sean May resumed his All-America form and led a comeback that brought U.N.C. within 33-29 at halftime.

Nice game, little Villanova, U.N.C.'s battalion sneered, your tiny little engine that could, now prepare to be the butterfly on our reawakened, traditional A.C.C. mothership's windshield.

All week long, after the Wildcats inspiring 76-65 win over Southeastern Conference Tournament champion Florida, the chesty Carolinians resembled a plague of locusts as they invaded Villanova's rivals.com site.

"Y'all (other variations yawall, youwall, yawl) don't have a chance. Who's gonna stop (All-American Sean) May? Who can stay with our guards? Y'all had a great season, but..." blahblahblah...

Cockiness, thy name is, was, apparently ever will be wrapped in Columbia blue and white. The posts came by the hundreds, but more about that in a moment.

There were nine seconds remaining, with the crowd at deafening decibels as Allan Ray spun away from two North Carolina defenders at the left foul line elbow, and executed the classic drop-step that is a hallmark in the college and pro game today.

Outmaneuvering the Tar Heels' defense in the lane, he skied over the step-late May, a 6-9, 250-pounder, and banked in a 10-footer that nearly blew the lid off the Dome. Standing five yards away was referee Tom O'Neill, who pointed to the floor as he blew his whistle.

Time froze. Ninety-nine times in 100, this is a classic hoop-and-harm, and surely enough, Carolina's Melvin Scott, a capable backup guard, had bumped into Ray as the massive Villanova majority howled in anticipation of a potential tie game. "I fouled him," he would later admit.

Walking!!!!

"Un-bleeping-believable!" you could read one 'Nova sideliner's lips.

The Carolina players heaved the relief a "Not Guilty" verdict recipient.

The Tar Heels would convert one final foul shot before Kyle Lowry drilled a three-pointer with 2.7 seconds left and then Mike "Bump" Sheridan's midcourt interception of U.N.C.'s throw-in resulted in one final heave toward the basket.

Traveling.

So, too, the so-called national media, those who annointed the Tar Heels the pre-season kings of the college game, without even considering #1 (36-1) Illinois, heaved a sigh of relief.

And, as plastic water-bottles and a deafening round of boos flew courtward, O'Neill, a veteran Big 10/Big 12 official and his Big 12 teammates Dave Hall and Gerry Pollack sprinted out of sight, never to be heard from again.

Other than in the inner culture of a state that historically has been the most "ethnically-challenged" -- up to 98% non-Catholic until the 1990s, when Yankees began relocating to the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triad, Charlotte and the Winston-Salem-Greensboro corridor and the coast -- a nation's college basketball community howled in unison.

"Robbed" read the back page of that Saturday's New York Post. "Tom O'Neill...for the good of the game...should resign..." one New England columnist declared.

Et apres, le deluge...

An endless swill of North Carolina venom, aimed directly at Villanova's disappointment-saturated fandom, served to not only reinforce Lincicome's finding, but multiply it.

One poster may have been the spokesperson for All Things "Deliverance"...the only thing missing was the "Dueling Banjos"

"This is it," the poster wrote. "My last post here. No standing ovation, please. I hope someday y'all will realize how easy you have been...The (kids the poster claimed populate N.C's website) have yanked your chain and stood back and laughed at your stupid (butts). On the court 'nova (sic) was a worthy opponent. On the (message) boards y'all have been totally worthless...' Following this -- a series of obscenities.

Another slamed Italian-Americans and union guys -- "As long as they stay where they are, we'll be fine..." saith he. 

But one 'Nova poster could have been speaking for people from Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, the old northeastern private schools who have long memories of having star players saddled with three personal fouls shortly after the organist played "Dixie" at North Carolina State's Reynolds Coliseum, a too-frequent site of many an N.C.A.A. men's tournament second round before losing to North Carolina.

"I am an emotional individual , but usually do not act like an ass at games and usally can, after a cooldown if I encounter an opposing fan, congratulate him/her on the game.

"(It dates) all the way back to 1969, when a displaced "Deliverance" character named Rusty "No-Talent-Whatsoever" Clark butchered Howard Porter, and reportedly, despite the presence of the first African-American in N.C men's hoops history, called "Geez" (Porter) an n-word and employed other racist taunts, trying to bait him.

"Then, late in the first half, he started a fight with (Porter), one of three. Bill Bunton and Clark got it going again in the second half and there was a major pushing-and-shoving incident late in the game, all involving North (Carolina) caucasians and 'Nova African-Americans.

"The two officials -- Rich Arricale and Curt Steigerwalt -- were drummed out of the N.C.A.A. within a year and were written up negatively in The New York Times, Post, Newsday and the Philadelphia dailies.

"Heading down the escalator, one sweetie (from U.N.C.) threw a half-full beer cup in our direction. I jumped over the railings and went after (the guy) and, probably fortunately, got tackled by a football player friend of mine before something ridiculous happened."

There were and are a litany of stories about encounters between North Carolina and opposing team fans, none of which flatter the Tar Heels' image, including a 1-on-1 brawl in an ontherwise virtually empty Charlotte hotel bar this reporter witnessed while in town to cover the N.C.A.A. Southeast Regionals in the early '90s.

"Carolina fan and a Duke fan," said the barkeep, a great guy and native New Jerseyan who had tuned in a Pittsburgh Penguins-Chicago Blackhawks game upon request. "Happens all the time."

But leave it to a classy guy, current Tar Heels coach Roy Williams, to relate it best. "...I got stopped in the hotel," he told the media over the weekend in Syracuse, "and this one guy comes up to me and says, 'Coach, don't disappoint us.' I got mad and said, 'What do you have invested in this? This is our life. All you do is talk about us at the coffee shop."

This, then, is who got rewarded by Tom O'Neill's grievous faux pas Friday night. Your humble scribe doesn't begrudge Roy Williams or his classy, hard-working group of basketball players who enjoyed the camaraderie and thunderous excitement of playing a very talented Villanova team. Nor does he begrudge the many kind and gentle folks who follow the University of North Carolina.

But, given the number of times this program, led in the past by some folks of less attractive personality, has nearly universally benefited from such controversy, you leave yourself to ask, particularly after the Wildcats' sisyphian effort, how O'Neill and his teammates couldn't have come up with a far different result in that final moment.

That, good people, is sad. Sad because a bunch of cocky, demanding, condescending yahoos get to reap the rewards while Villanova, which is unmistakably on the national ascendancy once again, can only look back at this game and punctuate it with what has nationally become "The Call," possibly the most controversial in N.C.A.A. Tournament history. DEFINITELY one of the most-discussed.

Know that despite the crowings of the A.C.C.-dominated broadcast crews, North Carolina has very, very few friends as it pursues its fourth national title in St. Louis.

For Williams, Sean May, the son of 1976 national champion Indiana University's power forward, Scott May, Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton and the rest of the Tar Heels, this is grossly unfair. They are a likable, talented group of classy folks.

But way too many of their fans...as they say in Dixie, that's a whole 'nutha story.